A Deeper Look: How Addie Doyle Beat Cancer
10/8/2026 10:02:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Women's soccer athlete Addie Doyle defeated papillary thyroid carcinoma while at the Academy
In Spring 2025, senior midfielder Addie Doyle was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma, the most common type of thyroid cancer. She was told that she needed an eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor, along with the residing lymph node that the cancer metastasized into.
"When I got diagnosed, it was definitely a very vulnerable and exposing position to be in," Doyle said. "I've never been in that position before. I used to feel like I was on my game all the time but then that setback forced me to rewire my brain and take care of myself now while not worrying about every other thing I'm doing at the Academy. It was an adjustment that was difficult in the beginning."
But a difficult beginning eventually gave way to a new perspective.
Following her diagnosis and treatment, Doyle returned to the field with a renewed appreciation for every opportunity. She appeared in all 19 matches during the 2025 season, starting a career-high 16, and logged 957 minutes as a wingback. She matched her career high with five points, recording one goal and three assists while continuing to find her place and make an impact for the Falcons.
Recovery was challenging, but the academy gave her the necessary skills to handle the adjustment.
"I didn't know much about the recovery process, but as I began to learn more about it, I switched my mindset because I realized I could do it," Doyle said. "It was just one more thing. The academy teaches you how to manage your time, and even if it's a lot, just to do your best. So that's what I did. I did my best to take care of myself and to recover from surgery while keeping up with academics, my military duties, and getting back to soccer as soon as possible."
Doyle continued to express gratitude for the Air Force Academy when asked what she learned from being a cadet.
"Definitely the ability to overcome adversity; I think this is such a special place when it comes to that," Doyle said. "Learning how to roll with the punches was not only something that I used during recovery, but also something that I'm going to continue to use in my future career."
While the adversity was certainly present, she did not have to face it alone.
Doyle credits her teammates for being an important part of recovery, providing the support she needed during one of the most vulnerable moments of her life.
"My teammates were so extremely important in my recovery process," Doyle said. "As much as it was a downer to hear my diagnosis, my team had so much support for me from the beginning. Telling them was a very vulnerable moment, but their response helped me know that I'm not in this alone."
For Doyle, that support was a reminder of why she chose the Academy in the first place.
"One of the reasons I chose to stay at the Academy and commit to going on and being an officer in the Air Force is because of the people," Doyle said. "The five [senior] girls are the same girls I went through basic with. Yes, we've had our struggles, but we've all been in it together. So that's what I think is really special about the Academy."
Those relationships, along with her own ability to overcome adversity, eventually led to her return to the soccer field.
As one could imagine, a life-changing diagnosis changed the way Doyle approached the sport she had dedicated so much of her life to.
"I definitely approach soccer with a sense of gratitude," Doyle said. "I was always thankful for the opportunity to play at a D1 institution but now I'm so thankful to surround myself with people that not only want to go win a Mountain West Championship but also the people that are so determined to make me better every day."
The lessons she learned during her recovery will extend far beyond her final season at the Academy.
"Coming to the Academy, I obviously did not expect such a life change," Doyle said. "But after going through such adversity, I'm not only going to have a sense of gratitude for everything that I approach and even every struggle that I have, but it also helps me know how important it is to take care of yourself first before going on to do greater things. Having that strong base a good mindset and a good overall outlook on the opportunities that you have in life is just so important for what you'll face in the future."
And while Doyle credits the Academy, her teammates, and her own determination for helping her through the difficult moments, she ultimately returns to the one thing that grounded her throughout the entire experience: her faith.
"I attribute all the successes that I've had to God because having faith throughout this difficult time was not easy," Doyle said. "There were a lot of unanswered questions, but I'm just thankful that I had my faith to take me through those unsure times."
The diagnosis may have changed Doyle's path, but it did not define it. Instead, it taught her to slow down, take care of herself, and appreciate the people and opportunities around her. As she continues with her senior season and prepares for the next chapter of her life, Doyle carries those lessons with her.
For four years, Doyle has been a constant for the Falcons, never missing a moment. Through 67 matches and 3,395 minutes on the field, she has been there for her teammates, growing alongside the program and leaving her mark in the midfield. With five goals and eight assists to her name, her impact goes far beyond the stat sheet, it is measured in the countless moments, memories and teammates she has shared the field with along the way.
On Sunday October 11, Air Force will host their Cancer Awareness match against Grand Canyon to honor Doyle's battle with cancer, as well as freshman Maeve Gayer's and GCU player Addie Valli's cancer stories.
"When I got diagnosed, it was definitely a very vulnerable and exposing position to be in," Doyle said. "I've never been in that position before. I used to feel like I was on my game all the time but then that setback forced me to rewire my brain and take care of myself now while not worrying about every other thing I'm doing at the Academy. It was an adjustment that was difficult in the beginning."
But a difficult beginning eventually gave way to a new perspective.
Following her diagnosis and treatment, Doyle returned to the field with a renewed appreciation for every opportunity. She appeared in all 19 matches during the 2025 season, starting a career-high 16, and logged 957 minutes as a wingback. She matched her career high with five points, recording one goal and three assists while continuing to find her place and make an impact for the Falcons.
Recovery was challenging, but the academy gave her the necessary skills to handle the adjustment.
"I didn't know much about the recovery process, but as I began to learn more about it, I switched my mindset because I realized I could do it," Doyle said. "It was just one more thing. The academy teaches you how to manage your time, and even if it's a lot, just to do your best. So that's what I did. I did my best to take care of myself and to recover from surgery while keeping up with academics, my military duties, and getting back to soccer as soon as possible."
Doyle continued to express gratitude for the Air Force Academy when asked what she learned from being a cadet.
"Definitely the ability to overcome adversity; I think this is such a special place when it comes to that," Doyle said. "Learning how to roll with the punches was not only something that I used during recovery, but also something that I'm going to continue to use in my future career."
While the adversity was certainly present, she did not have to face it alone.
Doyle credits her teammates for being an important part of recovery, providing the support she needed during one of the most vulnerable moments of her life.
"My teammates were so extremely important in my recovery process," Doyle said. "As much as it was a downer to hear my diagnosis, my team had so much support for me from the beginning. Telling them was a very vulnerable moment, but their response helped me know that I'm not in this alone."
For Doyle, that support was a reminder of why she chose the Academy in the first place.
"One of the reasons I chose to stay at the Academy and commit to going on and being an officer in the Air Force is because of the people," Doyle said. "The five [senior] girls are the same girls I went through basic with. Yes, we've had our struggles, but we've all been in it together. So that's what I think is really special about the Academy."
Those relationships, along with her own ability to overcome adversity, eventually led to her return to the soccer field.
As one could imagine, a life-changing diagnosis changed the way Doyle approached the sport she had dedicated so much of her life to.
"I definitely approach soccer with a sense of gratitude," Doyle said. "I was always thankful for the opportunity to play at a D1 institution but now I'm so thankful to surround myself with people that not only want to go win a Mountain West Championship but also the people that are so determined to make me better every day."
The lessons she learned during her recovery will extend far beyond her final season at the Academy.
"Coming to the Academy, I obviously did not expect such a life change," Doyle said. "But after going through such adversity, I'm not only going to have a sense of gratitude for everything that I approach and even every struggle that I have, but it also helps me know how important it is to take care of yourself first before going on to do greater things. Having that strong base a good mindset and a good overall outlook on the opportunities that you have in life is just so important for what you'll face in the future."
And while Doyle credits the Academy, her teammates, and her own determination for helping her through the difficult moments, she ultimately returns to the one thing that grounded her throughout the entire experience: her faith.
"I attribute all the successes that I've had to God because having faith throughout this difficult time was not easy," Doyle said. "There were a lot of unanswered questions, but I'm just thankful that I had my faith to take me through those unsure times."
The diagnosis may have changed Doyle's path, but it did not define it. Instead, it taught her to slow down, take care of herself, and appreciate the people and opportunities around her. As she continues with her senior season and prepares for the next chapter of her life, Doyle carries those lessons with her.
For four years, Doyle has been a constant for the Falcons, never missing a moment. Through 67 matches and 3,395 minutes on the field, she has been there for her teammates, growing alongside the program and leaving her mark in the midfield. With five goals and eight assists to her name, her impact goes far beyond the stat sheet, it is measured in the countless moments, memories and teammates she has shared the field with along the way.
On Sunday October 11, Air Force will host their Cancer Awareness match against Grand Canyon to honor Doyle's battle with cancer, as well as freshman Maeve Gayer's and GCU player Addie Valli's cancer stories.
Players Mentioned
F/M
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's SoccerThursday, October 08
Tuesday, September 29
Sunday, September 27
Thursday, September 24
